Live
wagering on the Meadowlands races was up 13.8 percent through the first 35
nights of racing, from $9.3 million in 2011 to $10.6 million in 2012. With all-source wagering also up slightly,
the total Meadowlands handle saw an increase of 5.5 percent to $81
million. Attendance also increased 7.4
percent to 83,673.
“While
Mother Nature has obviously been helpful, I think our guests recognize there is
a new spirit and an effort being made to make the experience of attending the
races more enjoyable,” said NMRLLC Chairman Jeff Gural. “I would like to thank the
employees and horsemen for their contributions to that effort. We have a lot of new ideas that will hopefully get some new,
younger customers once the Championship Meet opens in May.”
The
Championship Meet kicks off Friday, May 4 and includes a full slate of weekly
promotions and marquee stakes races. New
to the summer events schedule are a t-shirt giveaway and Girls Night Out,
featuring a cooking demo with celebrity chef Ariane Duarte, on Kentucky Derby
Day (May 5); Made In NJ Weekend, during which local bands and BBQ masters will
battle for cash prizes (June 1-2); Stride For The Cure 5K, which begins and
ends on the racetrack and benefits the American Cancer Society (June 23), and
the introduction of the popular Corntastic Weekend (July 27-28) from Tioga and
Vernon Downs.
Meadowlands
Pace Night (July 14) will be the biggest party night of the year with a vodka
tasting, Jersey boardwalk-style rides and games and a post-race concert by the
B Street Band. Hambletonian Day (August
4) continues its rich tradition as a day of family fun with rides, games,
autograph session and music by the Amish Outlaws.
The
Horse Play Car Giveaway will also make its Meadowlands debut during the summer
meet. Every night, beginning May 4,
guests who make a $1 donation to the Charity of the Month will receive a rubber
horse to try to throw into the window of a moving car. One successful guest from each night will
receive a $100 betting voucher and be entered into a grand prize drawing to win
the vehicle on the night of the Championship Meet Finale (August 18). NMRLLC will match every dollar raised from
the sale of the rubber horses and donate the proceeds to a local charity each
month.
For
a complete list of upcoming events, go to MeadowlandsRacetrack.com or find us
on Facebook.
